A Different Sky
by SamLim29
Summary: In some time, somewhere which no one knows Lived a boy whose name was never told Fairy tales his village yield And hereby I shall tell.
1. Chapter 1

**3 YEARS AGO**

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"_Run! Alessia, you have to run! I can't hold them off any longer!" My sister, Arnelle, yelled._

_Sweet, tiny Arnelle, who cried whenever I cried, who was currently fighting tooth and nail like a cornered rat, as vicious blows rained down upon her._

_My wide, tortured eyes flickered from the dead bodies of my parents to my younger sister, who bared her teeth in a snarl._

"_R-Run…? No… No way! Not without you!"_

"_Dang it, Alessia! __**RUN**__! Please! You have to escape! They'll kill you if you don't-"_

_She screamed, a high pitched keening that abruptly cut off with a choked gurgle, as a spear buried itself inside her chest._

"_No… NO! Arnelle!" I screamed, reaching out a hand to grab her, as she thudded to the ground with the force of a felled tree…_

_The scene shifted abruptly, dissolving before my eyes._

_In the cell, harsh electric lights glared twenty-four hours a day and even with an arm across my eyes, I could only sleep for minutes before waking with a start of fear, heart pounding sickeningly. The wall of the cell facing the corridor was meshed like a cage with heavy wooden bars, and had a small opening for passing food through in one corner; guards patrolled the corridor beyond. Twice a day, a scant bowl of rice with a scrap of meat or vegetable, and a bucket of tea with one filthy mug to be shared by all the prisoners, was delivered. To leave the cell when we were summoned, we had to crawl through a knee-high door. Most of the area was taken up with a wooden sleeping platform and it was here we were ordered to squat, silent and uncommunicative, unmoving all day. Rats scuttled in and out of the cell; large spiders and cockroaches stalked about. At night, the guards shouted, 'Sleep!' and we lay down crushed together under the endless glare. From the cracks of the wooden platform large ticks emerged to fasten upon us, bloating with our blood. There were ten, sometimes twelve in the cell. At the age of eleven, I was the oldest one there. At the back of the cell was a filthy latrine, encrusted with deposits of dried excrement growing a slippery carpet of moss; sometimes it clogged and overflowed. The water that flowed into the latrine from a high faucet must also be used for washing and drinking. At first, I waited for the mouthful of tea that came with every meal; but eventually I learned to drink from the vile outlet, as did everyone else. _

_In the cell, and the other cells, people were always coming and going, dragged out through the tiny door and later thrust back through it in varying stats of collapse and injury, marks of torture and beatings evident upon their bodies. Sometimes they were gone for hours; screams could be heard echoing through the building. Everyone waited, knowing their turn must come. The summons was arbitrary and unpredictable, yet mechanically and inhumanly regular. The cell was imbued with the smell of this fear, rank with the leaking bowels of dysentery and the metallic effluvium of blood._

_They came for me every day. I was made to kneel on rough logs, unmoving for hours at a time, a block of wood between my legs to keep my knees apart. My legs lost all feeling, and pain burned through my body. Every time I toppled over, I was hit. Then came the beatings with a long bamboo cane, usually on those soft parts of the torso, where there would be bruising but no internal injury – the calves, the inner arms, and the thighs. I didn't scream, stubbornly refusing to answer any of their questions. Usually, there were two of them but more and more the one in charge was Salim, the chief jailer. From silent detachment, he stepped forward as my chief tormentor. He bent over and I caught the rancid odour of him, saw his wide teeth, yellow like those of an old horse._

"_Tell us. Where are the rest of your tribe?" He flexed the cane threateningly, stroking it tenderly, bending it between his fingers._

_I smiled._

_The cell melted away, ran like water down a wall, and turned into something else._

"_Your highness? There's a girl here, and she's still breathing!" A high, lilting voice cried, and I frowned._

_Her voice was too loud, too shrill, and I wanted to tell her to shut up. But I didn't even have the strength to stand, let alone speak._

_A dark figure loomed over me, crimson orbs boring into mine. _

"_Can you hear me?" His voice was soft and calm. I tried to reply, but only a choked gurgle escaped. My mouth felt like it was filled with warm mud, and I drew in a ragged breath._

"_It's fine, don't worry. You'll be fine." His voice was bright and somehow soothing. "My attendants will help you."_

"_Your-" I choked on that warm wetness, and spat it out to clear my throat. "- Attendants? Are you… Royalty or something?"_

"_Yup! I'm Ren Kouha, Third Prince of Kou!" He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, as cool hands hovered above my body, stemming the flow of blood._

"_I want… To live…" I rasped out._

_If he was surprised by my declaration, he didn't show it, instead bobbing his head in a nod. "You will."_

The sound of the breakfast gong as it boomed was an irritating intrusion into the comfortable haze of sleep that wrapped its arms around me. I kept my eyes shut, burrowing deeper into the warm cocoon of silken blankets; trying to let the haze reclaim me, but the damage had already been done. I was awake now.

I groaned, still not ready to untangle myself from the covers, and I tried to recall what I had been dreaming about before being so rudely interrupted. For a moment, I thought I might remember, but the elusive whisper of my dream escaped me.

I made a disgusted sound in the back of my throat, sitting up in one not-so-smooth motion. Throwing off the blankets, I stumbled into the adjoining bathroom to shower, brush my teeth, and dress. After scrutinizing myself in the mirror and noting the dark bruises beneath my eyes, I thought about how badly I wanted to crawl back beneath the already cooling mound of blankets that covered my bed like an inviting nest.

I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail – the only kind of ponytail that my already unruly curls allowed – before tying the sash of my dress. It was made of cotton, in a plain shade of white that did little to flatter my already sallow complexion. My arms stuck out of the short sleeves like twigs, and there was a circle of purplish skin around my wrists and ankles, where my injuries were still healing.

Resigning myself to the fact that the marks would be staying there for a good while yet, I padded out of my room, making my way down the elaborately furnished corridor. The rich, well-worn crimson carpet that stretched down the centre of the hallway was thick and luxurious against the bare skin of my feet. Even though it was eleven in the morning, torches blazed in the sconces, casting a warm buttery glow down the halls.

Gloomy oak and mahogany hid corners and panelled the walls. Paintings of the royal family graced the walls, all of them looking incredibly proud and haughty, all of them with the same flame-red hair.

I headed down the massive curving staircase, watching as the lights from down below flickered through the banisters, creating leaping deer and round-eyed owls along the walls.

Reirei, Junjun and Jinjin were lying in wait for me, grabbing hold of my arms to shove me unceremoniously through the heavy wooden doors with the Kou insignia carved onto them.

"Prince Kouha! Alessia has arrived!" Junjun announced, and I shrank back, feeling three pairs of eyes settle on me.

"Allie!" Kouha cried, oblivious to my discomfort at being stared at (or glared at) by his brothers. "Are you ready to leave?"

I nodded, hovering uncertainly by the door with the three magicians.

"Then let's go conquer Leraje!"

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Hello everyone! This is my new story, and reviews and favourites are greatly appreciated! Hope you liked the chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

"Kouha, stop. You can't just tear off like that." Koumei interjected, grabbing his brother by the collar before he could attempt to escape. "Your attendant – she isn't even armed, at least take her to the weapons room –"

At the word 'weapon', Kouha's eyes lit up, glittering like stars. There was a kinetic, almost feverish energy about him as he bounded off to where I assumed the weapons room was located.

I followed him after a light nudge in the small of my back from Reirei, happy enough to let the more experienced attendant make the decision.

Kouha had been over the moon upon finding out that he was going to conquer a dungeon. And even though my stomach churned uneasily at the thought of entering such a dangerous death trap, I doubted that a lowly attendant like me would be able to talk him out of it. If those three had had no success, my chances of succeeding were zero. Besides, Kouha knew the risks. The least I could do was to offer him what little aid was in my power.

The weapons room looked exactly the way something called 'the weapons room' sounded like it would look. Brushed metal walls were hung with every manner of sword, dagger, pike, whip, mace, feather staff, hook, bow, shield and armour. Soft leather bags filled with arrows dangled from hooks, and there were stacks of boots, leg guards and gauntlets for wrists and arms. The place smelled of metal and leather and steel polish.

Kouha beckoned me over with an excited wave, pulling off a large, spiked ball on a chain. It looked extremely nasty, and I gulped.

"You'd be super powerful with this, Allie!"

I was spared replying by Koumei's timely arrival; he blanched visibly when he saw the spiked flail, making his freckles stand out even more against his pale skin.

"Kouha, put that down! Alessia does not need a flail, thank you very much –"

With a pout, Kouha did as he was told, setting the deadly weapon aside with a clank of metal chains.

"Why don't you let Alessia choose instead?" Koumei suggested, looking expectantly at me. "Pick something light, and easy to carry. With your slight figure, you won't be able to handle anything too heavy."

"Light, huh…?" Kouha mused, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Yes, something light would be best. _Light_, Kouha." Koumei specifically emphasized the word 'light', and I couldn't help but smile at Kouha's indignant expression.

"I heard you the first time, Mei-nii!" He exclaimed with a pout, standing on his tip toes to reach a weapon on the very top shelf.

"Here, Allie. How's this?" Kouha handed me a long, thin dagger wrapped in a leather sheath. The hilt had been set with a single red stone carved in the shape of a rose.

I nodded once, saying that it was fine, and slipped it into my sash, bobbing a curtsey to show my thanks.

Kouha smiled widely at me, showing a row of pearly teeth. "Ready, Allie?"

In response, I walked to the door and glanced back. _Are you coming?_

The carriage looked like something out of a fairy tale, painted in the traditional colours of the Kou Empire: Red, gold and black. The wheels were black, the leather trimmings gold. Two golden palominos were pulling the carriage, snorting and pawing restlessly.

"Come on, Allie! What are you waiting for?" When I continued to stand there gaping, he grabbed my arm and half-pushed me into the open door of the carriage. The carriage began to move before I had closed the door behind me.

Kouha fell back into his seat – plush and glossily upholstered – and looked over at me. "Is this your first time in a carriage?"

I nodded – my people had always walked, or ridden on horses for lengthy journeys, and it was my first time on one.

"Well, you'll get used to it. We'll be in here for half a day. Maybe more."

I looked inquisitively at him, and Kouha went on to elaborate, having gotten quite skilled at reading the emotions that flashed across my face. "The 14th dungeon, Leraje, is located somewhere in the north. It's several miles away from a tribe of nomads. The Tiaos, I think they were called. But their home was razed to the ground about seven months ago – Allie? What's wrong?"

Kouha's voice sounded as if it was coming from inside of a long tunnel. My hands began to shake uncontrollably. Even if Kouha hadn't told me that little nugget of information, I would have known what he was talking about. I had been born there, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

I stared down at my bare feet, watching as a fine layer of ash settled on my bare skin, covering my golden anklets. This was where my bed had once stood, where Arnelle and I had used to have pillow fights on. Over there had been the low wooden table, where my servant, Shirin, used to serve me tea and snacks.

Almost nothing remained of my village. Seven months, ago as Kouha had said, slave traders had obliterated the verdant plains, leaving only blackened, barren land behind, a scar that would never be forgotten. They'd killed the men, and made off with most of the women and children – whoever had been able to survive the burnings. The village chief, and most of his descendants, hadn't been spared. In fact, they had been killed first.

"… lie. Allie. Are you okay?" Kouha's hand was resting lightly on my shoulder, and I realized that I was on my knees, my head braced between my hands. I probably looked like I was on the verge of some kind of nervous breakdown.

I straightened up, my throat feeling strangely tight. I nodded half-heartedly, more for his sake than mine, to let Kouha know I was fine.

Making my way over to the fireplace, which was the only thing still standing, I gripped the edge of the mantel and gave it a sharp, forceful tug…

With a smooth, quiet grind, the whole fireplace swung open on invisible hinges to reveal a square hole in the wall column, just high and wide enough for a person to duck through. Kouha let out a low, admiring whistle as he peered inside – a few steps led down into a tunnel beyond, which seemed to be faintly lit from within.

I got down onto my hands and knees and crawled through the opening. Carefully, I descended down the stone steps, which opened up into the side of a straight passageway. The faint light that suffused the enclosed space came from gas lamps ranged along the left wall. Other narrow passages along the side of the passageway were probably more secret entrances from more rooms.

The rock walls were decorated with ancient paintings, depicting people with silvery blonde hair, clothed in brightly coloured robes, dancing and twirling among golden butterflies. A hand-woven rug in noble burgundy and blue tones graced the rock floor, haphazardly piled with plush cushions. Shelves made of branches held knick-knacks, and stacks of blankets; a rod made from a sapling held heavy curtains of gold. Crates of dried food were stacked up in a corner, with numerous canteens of fresh drinking water.

"This place is amazing!" Kouha laughed aloud, twirling in a full circle as the high ceiling reached cathedral like heights. There were more murals above us, and the air was thick and warm with humidity.

"Hey, Allie!" He motioned for me to come over, and I did as I was told, despite the fact that I had been busy rifling through a crate of parchment sheets and books. "That girl kinda looks like you!" He pointed at the picture of a bright, happy laughing girl, a silver tiara nestled in her long, platinum hair, her pale cheek pressed up affectionately against the dusky skin of a younger girl with a slick fall of flame red hair and the brightest green eyes.

I stared mutely at the painting. I couldn't even nod.

Kouha, to his credit, realized that something was amiss, but didn't pry. Instead, he changed the subject, "Hey, those crates are full of books. Maybe we should take them for En-Nii to see?"

I nodded in agreement, preparing to carry them out of the catacombs, when Kouha stopped me.

"No, don't do that. I'll call my men. You just pick out the stuff you want to bring back. I'll be back soon, okay?"

I nodded, and watched him scramble out the way we'd came before turning my attention to the huge storage cupboard nestled in the corner. Fine dresses, made of linen, sateen, cashmere, silk, satin, all intricately embroidered with lace, frills and ribbon. The kinds of dresses I used to wear, but never would again.

"Allie! I'm back!" The pounding of footsteps and Kouha's cheerful chirp alerted me to his return. "Is there anything else you wanna take?"

I shook my head. _No._

"Are you sure? What about those dresses? You'd look really pretty in those!"

I shook my head again.

"Hm, okay then~ Meisai, Meishin, could you please give me a hand?" Kouha smiled angelically, and the two men hurried to carry out his orders. "Allie, why don't you go ahead?" He suggested all too-innocently.

He noticed the exasperated gleam in my eye, and held up his hands innocently. "Hey, don't get the wrong idea! I just want you to go ahead and tell those three that I haven't been kidnapped! You know how much they worry!"

I did know. So, with a last wary glance in Kouha's direction, I headed upstairs.

The autumn day turned from brisk to cold, a stream of wind chaffing my cheeks and ruffling my hair as I made my way over to the campfire, which had been set up down-wind, and at least ten metres away from my home, to prevent the stink from reaching us. There'd been little to no rain to disturb the piles of ash left by the attack, but I guessed that they didn't want to take any chances.

Most of the soldiers had hunkered down in their sleeping bags. Some slept under the open sky, close to the fire in the centre of the camp, while Lord Kouen had retreated into his tent, a magnificent looking one, in shades of red and gold.

An equally large tent had been set up next to it, in the same shade of red as the other tent, and with gold trimmings, and I guessed that this was Kouha's tent. I slipped into the large interior, to find Reirei, Jinjin, and Junjun laying out five pallets, and smoothing luxurious goose down blankets over the soft, bouncy pallets.

"Ah, Alessia! Are you hungry?" Reirei turned to smile at me, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

I shook my head.

"And where's Master Kouha? Wasn't he with you?" Junjun chipped in.

I pointed outside, and she sighed in relief.

"Wei Long, Han Tzu and Mahn Yin were supposed to catch tonight's dinner." Jinjin commented. "But I don't think they've left yet."

I pointed at myself, and held up my knife, desperately trying to convey that I wanted to go hunt in their place.

"Huh? What is she saying?" Jinjin looked flummoxed, but only for a moment, until her sister enlightened her.

"Jinjin, I think she wants to hunt." Reirei was the first to cotton on, and she shot me a fond smile as she got to her feet. "Can you two finish up here? I should go let the boys know." She called over her shoulder as she left.

"The chef can do wonders with anything, but try to bring home venison, or wild turkey, or something, alright?" Junjun's tone sounded a tad condescending and that was when I realized: She didn't think I could do it.

I smiled blandly, nodded, and left.

Reirei bumped into me just as I was stalking out the tent. She gave me another of her easy smiles. "Alessia!" She called. "Perfect timing! Since you seem to be very familiar with the place, you've been allowed to go hunting on your own!"

I frantically bowed, over and over again, trying to thank her in the only way I could. Reirei, for some reason, looked rather pained as she said, "It's alright. You don't have to thank me. Just go and have fun."

I nodded, and left, cutting through the houses to get to the forest, where an abundance of wildlife roamed.

Ashes billowed up around me, and I pulled the hem of my dress over my mouth. It wasn't wondering what I breathed in, but who, that threatened to choke me. I stuck to the road out of habit, but that, in retrospect, was a bad choice, because it was full of the remains of those who tried to flee. But others, probably overcome by smoke, escaped the worst of the flames and now lay reeking in various states of decomposition, carrion for scavengers, blanketed by flies. I tried not to gag as I walked past a woman, her glassy eyes staring up at nothing, her innards spilling out over her cotton dress in a dried mass of dull grey rope.

There would be time to shed tears later, to mourn for what I had brought onto my village, but there was no time for that now. I had an army to feed, and crying wouldn't fill their bellies.

Instead, I plunged into the dense copse of trees that surrounded the village. A few trees at the edge of the woods were scorched and blackened, but as I headed deeper into the lush greenery, I realized that most of the trees had survived.

The rustling of the leaves mingled gently with the restless calls of birds and the far-off rushing waters of the icy river that lay beyond the trees. I inhaled deeply, glad to be back in the arms of the forest which had practically raised me and my sister.

_Nellie…_ For a moment, I allowed my thoughts to drift back to her. _Why didn't you run?_

I had been standing so still that I almost didn't notice the deer. It was a young buck, probably a yearling by his size. His antlers were just growing in, still small and coated in velvet. Poised to run but unsure of me, unfamiliar with humans.

I whipped out my knife and threw it. The knife sank into its neck, and the deer died before it knew what had happened. Not bad for a first attempt, but I did wish that I could've made a cleaner kill – blood was already seeping out through the cut and beginning to pool on the ground.

Sighing, I grabbed it by the horns and started lugging it back to camp. I made a mental note to never go hunting on my own again. I could have used help with the deer.

Even though I had never been a sadistic person, seeing Junjun's mouth drop open in a wide 'O' as her eyes flew to the deer in my hands and back to my blood-stained dress, was oddly satisfying, and made me smirk.

I handed the deer over to the cook by the fire and left to clean myself up. The deer's blood had dried on my dress, leaving it coated in sticky, gummy patches of red. In short, I looked like I had gone on a wild killing spree, hacking and destroying anything that stood in my way. I should have gotten tips from Kouha on How to Kill and Still Look Good.

Since I was filthy from head to toe, I decided to strip, and waded into the mild current. I tried splashing myself, but eventually decided to lie down in the cool water for a few minutes, letting it wash off the blood. After rinsing out my clothes and hanging them on the bushes to dry, I sat on the bank, untangling my hair with my fingers. Refreshed, I dressed back in my damp clothes and headed back to camp, knowing that they would dry soon enough.

For dinner, there was minced venison in the stew, along with thick slabs of buttered bread.

At night, as I lay down on my pallet, sleep eluded me. I was tired, but I wouldn't be sleeping. Any time I drifted off, I dreamed of that tiny cell, of captivity, of rough, obtrusive hands touching me all over… I shuddered, and burrowed deeper beneath my blanket, which did nothing to ease the chill that seemed to radiate from deep within my body. I was terrified, and mentally prepared myself for yet another sleepless night.

"Allie? What's wrong?"

Kouha's head popped up from a massive mound of blankets, and I shook my head in response to his question.

"Hey, don't lie to me. C'mere." Kouha stifled a yawn, patting the empty space on his pallet, and I crawled over reluctantly, expecting a worse punishment if I didn't comply.

"It's alright," He said softly. "You're safe now. I won't let anybody hurt you. Okay?"

He brushed loose strands of hair off my forehead, and tears pooled in my eyes, one sliding down my cheek.

I nodded.

_Okay._


End file.
